Champion Hurdle Tips

One of the oldest Cheltenham Festival races, the Champion Hurdle is stepped in history since its first running in 1927 when Blaris took the honours for trainer Bill Payne and jockey George Duller. 

Since that time there have been many champion winners and an incredible five horses to win three Champion Hurdle races. All five horses won the Champion Hurdle in consecutive years, making the feat even more incredible and the most recent champion was Istabraq in 2000. 

Istabraq was the odds-on favourite to win his fourth unprecedented Champion Hurdle but the foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001 caused history to halter. Unfortunately, he raced in 2002 but was pulled up after the second hurdle when jockey Charlie Swan felt his action go. 

Istabraq’s subsequent retirement left the door open for another champion and although there hasn’t been another like him since, Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly and Buveur d’Air have all won the Champion Hurdle twice. 

Nicky Henderson has scored seven wins as a trainer and those wins came with four horses. He trained See You Then to score three consecutive Champion Hurdle’s from 1985-1987 and current champion Buveur d’Air. 

Jockeys Tim Molony and Ruby Walsh share the top honours with four wins a piece. Ruby Walsh’s most recent win came with Annie Power, which was subsequently only the fourth mare to win the Champion Hurdle. That win also gave Willie Mullins his fourth win in a six-year span. 

The biggest margin of victory in recent times belongs to Rooster Booster when scoring by 11 lengths in 2003. The nine-year-old spaced his rivals, which included Westender in second and race favourite Rhinestone Cowboy in third.

Owner JP McManus won the Champion Hurdle twice in a row with Buveur D'Air, and again with the ill-fated Espoir D'Allen.

In 2020, Nicky Henderson's Epatante justified her tag of favouritism with a superb performance, ensuring McManus retain the famous trophy for a fourth year on the bounce.